FleaSpeech

Shining In The Sun

Hell's Kitchen Flea Market was profiled in The New York Sun recently. Some highlights from the article:

"I couldn't do what I do back home in South Jersey," a dealer specializing in mid-century Modern furniture, Len Griffen, said. "[At Hell's Kitchen Flea Market] I find every type of customer, and most of them have apartments they need to furnish."
.....
[Maggie] Rose said that most of the antiques she sells in Hell's Kitchen come from the estates of people she knew in New Hampshire. Hearing about an item's history makes New Yorkers feel they're inheriting something special. "I have a mirror that two friends chipped in to buy. It belonged to a lady named Millie who taught the deaf for 40 years in our town. She'd be happy it's going to a good home in New York City," she said.

Read the whole article here.

Witenss to successful shopping: Mirror from HKFM

There's an increasing number of testimonials of successful "finds" at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market. Observation of the market for about 35 minutes on Sunday, July 20, from HK Restaurant (packed with customers) on the corner (W 39 and 9th Ave) revealed a steady stream of customers through the market, despite the oppressive heat! A couple of guys left with a very interesting and large mirror--probably guessing 1970's--with a simple ring painted on it, centered, of askew square-like blocks of solid, cheery, oranges and yellows, each outlined in a thin black line. It brought to mind shag carpets and polyester. :) But, it was interesting, functional, and will make a nice addition to nearly any modern apartment.

$10 flea market find worth $100,000

As reported in The New York Post (and on CNN.com)

A $10 flea-market picture of some flowers proved far more valuable when original handwritten lyrics to the patriotic song "My Country 'Tis of Thee" turned up in the picture's backing, a downtown [Manhattan] document dealer said yesterday.

The picture was purchased at the West 25th Street Market. The lyrics document was valued at $100,000.

With flea markets, you're sometimes treasure hunting and don't even know it!

Audrey's purse

A hat-tip to Urban Audrey.

What more can we say except, "Audrey, we love the purse!"

Yesteryear Retail Therapy

We were excited to see Vivienne Tam of the New York Post's new Sunday magazine give Hell's Kitchen Flea Market a great write-up.

Vivienne noted that HKFM was "packed with clothes from the '20s, '50s and '60s."

Happy Independence Day, everyone!

Cool new L.A. flea

Congrats to the South Park Flea Market on getting approval to have certified farmers at their flea market, which also features music.

NYC Flea Market Walk

NYC FLEA MARKET WALK as featured in Time Out New York . . .

What could be a better way to pass a sunny spring afternoon in Manhattan than a flea market walk?

Ashlea Halpern of Time Out New York created a FLEA MARKET WALK - click here to read the details. It runs from Hell's Kitchen Flea Market, down into Chelsea, and then to Union Square. The tour even tells you where there are restrooms along the way!

Hell's Kitchen Flea Market - the Moleskincity.com review

The contributer named Mel on the Moleskincity.com site for New York City recently offered some advice about Hell's Kitchen Flea Market:

There are definitely great bargains to be had at the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market, but you are going to have to work for them. Here are a few tips that worked for me: Don’t sleep in; these vendors love to pack up by 4:30pm. Check the forecast; the best deals are found during lousy weather, when the sellers are feeling especially desperate. Also note that the more things you buy from the same vendor, the less you’ll end up paying for each item. Be sure to bargain; it is not like Chinatown but you can still make them an offer. This collection of vendors have all your typical flea market commodities: books, broaches...and vintage clothing plus the more random Victorian couches and tables, tea sets, and a decent collection of taxidermy. The Flea Market is held every Saturday and Sunday from 9am-6pm on 39th between 9th and 10th.

(Photo from the On The Inside's review of Hell's Kitchen Flea Market.)

What she wore . . .

HKFM's most recent contribution to WIW. :)

"Shades: F21
Dress: vintage, thrifed Columbus Ave Flea Market
Broach: Ebay
Handbag: vintage, thrifted Hell's Kitchen Flea Market
Scarf (as belt): J. Crew
Bracelet: Goodwill
Opal Ring: gift
Shoes: Naturalizers"

Personalize your decor with flea-market finds

The Wichita Eagle featured an informative Q & A article, "Personalize your decor with flea-market finds," in its Home & Garden section. The respondent is Mary Carol Garrity.

The flea market: your repurposing resource

It's no wonder that the Alternative Consumer blog caught up with Sue Whitney at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market recently during a book signing for Junk Beautiful. Flea market fans include a lot of environmentally conscious consumers and designers.

Copies of Junk Beautiful are available at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market's information booth at the special price of $20.

Repurose

A strong segment of flea market shoppers includes those who repurpose old things of a more miscellaneous nature. No wonder flea market fans include environmentally conscious consumers and designers. With a bit of creativity (and sometimes some basic DYI supplies) an old birdcage can be transformed into a lampshade, an incomplete vintage croquet set into as an umbrellas stand.

(Photo: Old card catalogs show up at flea markets from time to time. Many libraries have switched entirely to electronic cataloging and no longer need their old card catalogs. Bits and Bobbins highlighted the repurposing of an old card catalog as attractive storage or organizing furniture.)

Foot traffic at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market

As New York Magazine declared in August 2006, Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market “has settled in for good.” Foot traffic at Hell's Kitchen Flea Market, running the block of West 39th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, is at an all-time high. It's offering residents and tourists alike an always-changing (and growing) inventory of vintage fashion, decorative arts, and design treasures. There's a real committed core of vendors and dealers there.

Why does it take a while for a flea market to get its bearings though? Because change costs time, money, and energy.

Locations change (Hell's Kitchen instead of Chelsea).

Customers change (Post-eBay young professional in Manhattan are a growing chunk of today's flea market customers).

Tastes change. (What's hot now is mid-century antiques--1950's and 1960's decorative arts and furniture; also, vintage clothing is hot.)

New flea in Bethlehem, CT

There's a new flea marketing opening in Bethlehem, CT! Learn more online here.

V-v-vintage

Vintage Violent visited the flea market last Saturday (say that three times real fast) for her website.

Brrrrr. Was cold last Saturday at the market!

You can view a slideshow of her market pics here.